


Cuddle Time

by a_big_apple



Series: and it's bright [9]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, Melancholy, Short & Sweet, the teen rating is for Amethyst she says exactly what she's thinking at all times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_big_apple/pseuds/a_big_apple
Summary: The beach house residents are a little down. Garnet has a plan.
Relationships: Amethyst & Garnet & Pearl & Steven Universe
Series: and it's bright [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619890
Comments: 24
Kudos: 68





	Cuddle Time

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of fluff I wrote while trying to put off deciding what to order for dinner. I miss my friends, I wanna cuddle them through the summer grief.

If this is going to work, she has to time it _just right_. Garnet folds her legs underneath her in the sand, closes two eyes and opens one, breathes in and out as she sorts through the possibilities again, tracks the moving pieces. In all but the most unlikely scenarios, Pearl is in the house, sitting on the couch, wearing an argyle sweater that used to be Greg’s in spite of the 90 degree heat, staring blankly at the ceiling as her fingers tug and pull at the sweater sleeves. She gets quiet sometimes in the summer, since Steven moved out. It buoys her when he visits on his birthday, buoys them all, but summer in Beach City will always smell and feel and taste a little bit like saying goodbye to Rose.

Greg should be home too, upstairs, indulging in an afternoon nap. Amethyst will be getting in soon—the softball game will be a shutout and end after a short seventh inning. If Garnet goes now—

She unfolds herself, leaps from the beach up onto the porch without bothering with stairs, and slams the door open. “Pearl!”

Pearl startles, looking ready to spring. “What? What is it? Is something happening?”

“It’s cuddle time!” Garnet declares, crosses the distance to the couch in two long strides and scoops a sputtering Pearl up in her arms.

Pearl’s palm splats onto her visor and her feet flail. “Garnet!”

Garnet doesn’t answer, just plops down cross-legged on the couch with Pearl in her lap and bundled into her arms. Pearl struggles a moment more, then goes limp with a sighing chuckle. “ _Garnet._ ” Her head tips onto Garnet’s shoulder, and she winds her arms around her waist.

“That’s more like it,” Garnet murmurs, and Pearl snorts into her collarbone.

“Feel better?” she asks; Garnet nods.

“Yes.”

All is quiet again for a minute or two as they breathe together, and millimeter by millimeter Pearl’s limbs loosen.

_Three...two...one—_

The warp activates, and Amethyst tosses her cap on the floor and shakes out her ponytail a moment later. “Yo, what’s all this?”

Garnet opens one arm. “It’s cuddle time.”

Amethyst brightens like a lightbulb. “Yeah?”

“Come on.”

With a cackle Amethyst spin-dashes across the house and throws herself at them; Pearl squawks and dissolves into laughter, making room. Beneath Garnet’s chin, Amethyst and Pearl touch noses.

“Boop.”

“Hmm.”

“Boop. It’s funny when the tip bends up like that.”

“Amethyst.”

“What? I’m just saying, your nose is funny. Nice funny. When pearls make out, do you ever poke each other in the eye with those things?”

“ _Amethyst!_ ”

Above them, the stairs creak just a little; Garnet doesn’t have to look to know that Greg is peeking out, then creeping down just far enough to snap a picture on his phone. The shutter is inaudible over Pearl and Amethyst’s banter, and then the door upstairs clicks shut again.

“—not that difficult, I’ve had the same nose for thousands of years, if I couldn’t kiss with it by now—”

“That’s fair, I forgot you’re such a _playa_.”

“If that means I’ve had practice, then _yes_. Oh!” Pearl jumps as her phone starts to ring, the strumming of a ukulele. “That’s Steven’s ringtone!” She squirms until she can fish it out of her layers of jacket and sweater, and holds it out for all of them to see before hitting answer. “Hello, Steven! What a nice surprise!”

“Hey, Steve-o!”

“Perfect timing, Steven.”

Steven grins over the video. “Hey guys! You all look cozy.”

“It’s cuddle time,” Garnet explains, though she knows he knows from the photo Greg texted him. His grin ticks up a little in the corner, like he suspects she knows he knows.

“Aww, I miss cuddle time.”

“It’ll be cuddle time again when you come for your birthday,” Garnet assures him.

Amethyst presses in closer. “Yeah man, or any time can be cuddle time, you’ve got a magic lion.”

Steven laughs. “I’d come right now if I could, but I’m making dinner.” The screen flips round, and they can see the huge bubbling pot he’s stirring on the stove. “Vegetarian chili.”

“That looks wonderful, Steven. I’m glad you’re eating well.” Pearl adjusts the phone a little, to better fit their faces all in. “Remember, don’t let the leftovers sit out, it’s a myth that you can’t put food in the fridge when it’s hot.”

“I remember,” he chuckles, and the camera flips round again. “Connie’s coming over for dinner so I should get back to it, just wanted to say hi and that I miss you.”

“We miss you too, Steven,” Pearl replies, with a suspicious wobble, and Garnet squeezes her tighter.

“Give Connie our love,” she says. “We love you.”

“Yeah, see ya in a month Steven!”

“Love you!” Steven replies, and grins, and the call blinks out.

Pearl tucks the phone away again, then tucks her face, damp, into Garnet’s neck; Amethyst curls in closer, her wild hair tickling Garnet’s chin. Garnet just wraps her arms around them both, trying to be big enough and steady enough to keep them here and safe together.

Pearl sniffles a few times, but her breathing is calm and even; then into the quiet, Amethyst sighs. “That chili looked really good.”

Garnet snorts; Pearl sputters out a laugh. “Let’s make some. We’ll go to the store. I’ll make a list.”

“Ooh, can we pick up some more engine oil too? I’ve been craving it.”

“So _that’s_ where it all went. We do actually need that for the van sometimes, you know.”

“But it’s so _good._ We could put some in the chili.”

“Not if Greg’s eating it too. You can put some in your serving.”

Garnet gives them both a final squeeze, then gets up and sets them on their feet. “Cuddle time is over,” she declares. “It’s chili time now.”

Pearl and Amethyst both smile, looking a little brighter than before, and throw their fists in the air. “Chili time!”


End file.
